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Daily Fantasy Football QB Pick: Joe Burrow vs. Carolina Panthers – $6,600
While he isn’t the cheapest quarterback you can find for your roster this week, he is probably the best bang for your buck. Joe Burrow has posted 18+ point performances in five of his last six games. The one outlier is a Thursday night game which historically has been tough for quarterbacks. Do not panic over one mediocre game. His performance against the Browns is hardly an indication of a drop-off due to Ja’Marr Chase’s absence.
Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Hayden Hurst are more than capable of meeting this offense’s high expectations of success. Not to mention the Carolina Panthers rank toward the bottom of the league when it comes to pass defense and sack/pressure rate.
Burrow is just one game removed from a 42-point performance against a similarly weak Falcons secondary and there is little reason to believe that he cannot repeat that feat against the Panthers.
Carolina’s offense has looked surprisingly explosive with P.J. Walker now leading the charge. This game could end up a shootout. A high-scoring affair would open a lot of opportunities for Burrow to put up big numbers.
Other QB Options: Aaron Rodgers vs. Detroit Lions ($5,900), Geno Smith vs. Arizona Cardinals ($5,800)
Daily Fantasy Football RB Pick: Rhamondre Stevenson vs. Indianapolis Colts – $6,200
How a running back that has put up four straight 20+ point performances is valued below $6,500 is absolutely beyond me. In what used to be a confusing backfield, Rhamondre Stevenson has emerged as the unquestioned lead back. All of this leads to a prime matchup against a Colts team that is quickly plummeting.
Indy is currently ranked as the 23rd-best defense against the run this year and with Sam Ehlinger and Deon Jackson leading the offense, a blowout is very likely here. That means a lot of carries for Stevenson to rack up yards.
In case there was any more doubt about his dominance with the timeshare, Stevenson has seen 15+ carries in three of the last four games. His lead role is here to stay and you should capitalize on that in this great matchup.
Other RB Options: Tyler Allgeier vs. Los Angeles Chargers ($5,400), Travis Etienne Jr. vs. Las Vegas Raiders ($6,300)
Daily Fantasy Football WR Pick: Chris Olave vs. Baltimore Ravens – $6,400
Michael Thomas is more than likely done for the season as he deals with a toe injury and Jarvis Landry is still struggling with an ankle injury that has been plaguing him for a month. All of this leads to the perfect opportunity for the rookie receiver, Chris Olave, who has looked phenomenal so far. This will be his first opportunity to showcase his skills as a true starting receiver.
The Saints offense has been explosive as always even with Andy Dalton in as quarterback. So Olave’s opportunities should continue to be plentiful especially if Lamar Jackson and the Ravens force them to keep up. Olave has yet to post less than 10 points since Week One and now that he is solidified as one of the top options in this offense, expect his production to continue.
Other WR Options: Gabriel Davis vs. New York Jets ($6,900), Mike Evans vs. Los Angeles Rams ($7,200)
Daily Fantasy Football TE Pick: Evan Engram vs. Las Vegas Raiders – $3,300
Evan Engram has quickly become one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets over the past couple of weeks and the fantasy football impact of that is obvious. It’s been over a month since he’s seen less than six targets and in that same span, he’s scored nine or more points in every game. With the Jaguars struggling to keep up with other teams’ offenses, the likelihood of Lawrence airing it out just means more opportunities for Engram to thrive.
Some may look at his lack of touchdowns (just one all season) as a sign to stay away but in an odd way, his production despite that actually proves just how good of an asset he is. The fact that he can put up the fantasy football points he has without getting a score shows just what a valuable and consistent player he is on this offense.
With the scoring monkey off his back, Engram can now continue his production in a similar fashion and hopefully begin to rack up his touchdown numbers. It’s also helpful that the Raiders are the third-worst-ranked defense against tight ends this year. Expect Engram’s hot streak to continue this week.
Other TE Options: Tyler Higbee vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($3,700), Isaiah Likely vs. New Orleans Saints ($3,400)
Daily Fantasy Football FLEX Pick: Terry McLaurin vs. Minnesota Vikings – $5,900
It doesn’t matter who’s starting at quarterback for the Commanders, Terry McLaurin will succeed. In the past two weeks, he’s seen eight targets and has posted 12+ points in three of his last four games. McLaurin is the perfect example that volume/target share is the most valuable metric to keep in mind. Despite rotating between two quarterbacks, he still finds success simply because he is the best receiver on the team.
McLaurin’s success should continue against a Vikings defense that ranks 26th against the pass. While his numbers may not blow you away, they are certainly worth a FLEX play, a statement that is even further proven true given his price here. McLaurin is a borderline WR2 that is being treated as a borderline FLEX play. Take advantage of that mistake.
Other FLEX options: Devin Duvernay vs. New Orleans Saints ($4,900), D’Onta Foreman vs. Cincinnati Bengals ($6,000)
Daily Fantasy Football D/ST Pick: Packers vs. Detroit Lions – $3,700
I know this might not seem like a hot take or even a bold one at that right off the bat. However, the Lions offense is one that could still scare people on paper but in reality, there is very little evidence to back that up.
Jared Goff has only posted more than 20 points three times this season and one of those instances was only by a point. The Lions offense is only good against bad defenses and while the Packers defense isn’t great, they’re no cupcake either.
This is the perfect pickup in DFS or normal fantasy football leagues because the Lions explosive potential scares people away but they fail to reach that potential against top-tier or even middle-tier teams. While the Packers may not light the scoreboard up, they will definitely keep you in the fight this week.
Other D/ST options: Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts ($4,100), Chiefs vs. Tennessee Titans ($3,300)
